First time I have not liked a Wes Anderson film. It did just enough for me not to hate it, I tried very hard to find the good parts as I was watching it. Your review helped me identify a few of the reasons I was disappointed by the whole movie. Guess WA can’t win them all.
Wes Anderson has always reminded me a little bit of Quentin Tarantino. They both have almost complete creative control and are able to indulge their deepest quirks. That leads to some really unique films.
But I feel like they'd both be served well by having some sort of collaborator who could tell them to shut the fuck up when they've taken their quirks too far.
Yeah, even though all the emotional bits were in the framing device (I loved the scene on the balcony with Margot Robbie), it always felt like it was standing next to the Asteroid City stuff, rather than flowing in and out of it.
Rank your Andersons here. Only one I outright dislike.
I do agree that that scene with Margot Robbie was great, I just don't feel like it needed to be in the framing device? Maybe that scene was his entire justification for the framing device? I dunno. The part where Bryan Cranston is standing outside of frame... just... why?
Tenenbaums, Budapest, Fox, Rushmore, Rocket, French, Zissou, Darjeeling, Moonrise. I couldn't finish Dogs, so I can't fairly place it, but that's also a pretty good indication it goes last.
I also watched this over the weekend and thought Anderson needed a tiresome framing device to help us “accept” his movie that touched on serious post-war themes because for once he was self-conscious about the filmmaking style and production design he clearly wasnt going to abandon
This was a truly wonderful set in search of a story to be told in it.
I also wasn't feeling the framing device, even if it gave us a couple of decent scenes. And Anderson knows how to do good framing devices! Contrast with Alec Baldwin's perfect narration in The Royal Tenenbaums, or F. Murray Abraham soulfully reminiscing to Jude Law in Grand Budapest Hotel, or (somewhat less successful but still interesting) the experimental construction of The French Dispatch, attempting to evoke one medium with another.
Yeah, I think the F. Murray Abraham parts were by the most affecting in Grand Budapest Hotel. But I think that goes back to Stefan Zweig -- he's basically the Zweig character. And his whole story I just can't get enough of.
I need to be in the right mood for an Anderson movie so I'll wait until the mood hits me. It's for rent on various platforms. Love your wife's reference to that "train" movie, my partner would have referenced that "bellhop" movie.
I agree with your WAIFE, I find Anderson too twee by half and generally don't like his stuff. I will not watch this!
*Fart* Gotta go!
First time I have not liked a Wes Anderson film. It did just enough for me not to hate it, I tried very hard to find the good parts as I was watching it. Your review helped me identify a few of the reasons I was disappointed by the whole movie. Guess WA can’t win them all.
Wes Anderson has always reminded me a little bit of Quentin Tarantino. They both have almost complete creative control and are able to indulge their deepest quirks. That leads to some really unique films.
But I feel like they'd both be served well by having some sort of collaborator who could tell them to shut the fuck up when they've taken their quirks too far.
Yeah, even though all the emotional bits were in the framing device (I loved the scene on the balcony with Margot Robbie), it always felt like it was standing next to the Asteroid City stuff, rather than flowing in and out of it.
Rank your Andersons here. Only one I outright dislike.
The Royal Tenenbaums
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Moonrise Kingdom
Asteroid City
The French Dispatch
The Darjeeling Limited
Rushmore
Bottle Rocket
Isle of Dogs
I do agree that that scene with Margot Robbie was great, I just don't feel like it needed to be in the framing device? Maybe that scene was his entire justification for the framing device? I dunno. The part where Bryan Cranston is standing outside of frame... just... why?
It's so subjective but that's what's fun about it:
Royal Tenenbaums - peak Anderson; the on-location shoot in NYC looks amazing
The Life Aquatic - still the best of his more stylized films (which to me is anything post-Tenenbaums)
Bottle Rocket - his funniest movie by a good margin
Rushmore - wonderful performances
French Dispatch - i'm a bitch for anything writer-ish; maybe his most "playful" movie
Fantastic Mr. Fox - just a delightful little movie
Darjeeling Limited - every scene is a feast for the eyes
Asteroid City - need to watch it again but agree with everything said here re: framing device
Grand Budapest Hotel - characters feel flat; i always get bored
Isle of Dogs - not for me dog
Moonrise Kingdom - seems to contain the most of what everyone dislikes about Anderson
Tenenbaums, Budapest, Fox, Rushmore, Rocket, French, Zissou, Darjeeling, Moonrise. I couldn't finish Dogs, so I can't fairly place it, but that's also a pretty good indication it goes last.
The ending of this movie is so bizarre. It hits weirdly flat, but in a way that seems intentional. What that intention was, I have no idea.
In the film’s defense, I ended up thinking about it for a couple of days after I saw it.
I also watched this over the weekend and thought Anderson needed a tiresome framing device to help us “accept” his movie that touched on serious post-war themes because for once he was self-conscious about the filmmaking style and production design he clearly wasnt going to abandon
I feel like that just cleared up a lot for me.
If you haven't seen it, the 'Afterparty' episode 'Hannah' is a send up of a Wes Anderson movie and hits the bullseye so directly. Just a delight.
You always have a way of putting into words, Vince.
This was a truly wonderful set in search of a story to be told in it.
I also wasn't feeling the framing device, even if it gave us a couple of decent scenes. And Anderson knows how to do good framing devices! Contrast with Alec Baldwin's perfect narration in The Royal Tenenbaums, or F. Murray Abraham soulfully reminiscing to Jude Law in Grand Budapest Hotel, or (somewhat less successful but still interesting) the experimental construction of The French Dispatch, attempting to evoke one medium with another.
Yeah, I think the F. Murray Abraham parts were by the most affecting in Grand Budapest Hotel. But I think that goes back to Stefan Zweig -- he's basically the Zweig character. And his whole story I just can't get enough of.
And now because of this I’m immediately going to your rankings article 👨🏻🌾
This was Wes Anderson's funniest movie since The Life Aquatic, but I thought it was terrible overall. Just totally flat and uninteresting.
I need to be in the right mood for an Anderson movie so I'll wait until the mood hits me. It's for rent on various platforms. Love your wife's reference to that "train" movie, my partner would have referenced that "bellhop" movie.